It is well known that stability of structures, such as earth slopes and retaining walls, are negatively affected by water pressure resulting from poor drainage. Many failures have occurred requiring costly rework ranging from complete to partial excavation and/or trenching to install tiling and French drains, for example.
Perforated, slotted or slope drains typically are plastic drainage pipes that have perforations to allow liquid to drain away from an area. Many current drains in the art get plugged due to sediment and debris falling through the perforations of the drain. In some cases, the perforated drains are covered with a fine exterior filter fabric to prevent the movement of soil and other debris from the exterior of the drain to the interior of the drain during conditions of flow. A disadvantage of this system is that the fine fabric tends to get clogged over time resulting in a drain that does not work as intended.
Prefabricated vertical (PV) drains or Wick drains typically comprise a plastic core surrounded by a fine filter fabric. These drains are usually used on earth slopes, but they also tend to clog over time.
For at least the foregoing reasons, there is a need for improved systems and techniques for improving drainage to maintain structure stability.